Argentina’s Formosa region and Paraguay analyze gradual border reopening

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Formosa governor Gildo Insfrán and Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Euclides Acevedo met on Tuesday (14) with the participation of technical teams from both countries to advance on issues related to the region, such as the epidemiological situation due to the coronavirus and the future gradual border reopening.

The Paraguayan officials present were Tourism Minister Sofía Montiel de Afara, Deputy Minister of Public Health Lida Sosa, National Directorate of Civil Aviation President Félix Kanazawa and the Paraguayan Consul to Argentina’s Formosa region Fernando Acosta, and provincial officials Chief of Staff Antonio Ferreira, Minister of Economy Jorge Ibáñez, and Minister of the Community and in charge of Human Development Aníbal Gómez.

Acevedo said that “we are looking for a gradual reopening of our borders, depending on the epidemiological situation, which is why I am accompanied by the Vice-Minister of Public Health Lida Sosa,” according to official information.

“We leave rationally hopeful; the governor has not raised false hopes, but rather true hopes of a gradual reopening, and above all the commitment of a joint intelligent effort in terms of tourism, economy, health, air connectivity. Finally, for us, Formosa is a launching pad to the Pacific, we have 800 kilometers of border, we must work together and enjoy the generous disposition of the government of Formosa towards Paraguay,” he stated.

“The joint administration of the Paraguay river, namely the waterway, is very important for us, and we have agreed with the governor on the importance of fighting smuggling and related crimes,” he said.

He pointed out that for the strategic future the goal is also to ensure that “Paraguay is more closely linked to the border provinces so that the integrationist concept becomes a reality. We have the Bioceanic Corridor, the Waterway, a very important cultural watershed, so the visit is the beginning of future talks.”

With respect to the Delta variant in the region, he said that it was a topic discussed at the meeting and that “Paraguay has the Delta issue under control,” although he pointed out that “it is not our main concern, but rather economic recovery.”

Vice-Minister Sosa said that the epidemiological situation in the two countries sharing the border is currently “favorable” and that “a working group between Paraguay’s Ministry of Health, the Government of Formosa and the provincial Ministry of Human Development will be set up to work on ways to facilitate border entry,” she said.

She pointed out that in the past 14 weeks there has been a sustained decrease in the number of Covid cases, in the number of deaths and that the health system is not overwhelmed.

Tourism Minister Montiel de Afara stressed the need to work to reactivate tourism, proposing specific initiatives between travel agents and tourism operators: “immediate joint actions must be coordinated,” she said.

Consul Acosta also stated that “there was talk of a gradual reopening of the border” but no precise date was set. “When the conditions on both sides are in place, a solution will be reached as soon as possible, depending on how the pandemic evolves,” he said.